Entertaining Holiday Gift Guide 2018

Are you looking for a gift for someone who loves food and entertaining this holiday season?

After searching, trying and tasting my way around the country – here are my favorites for 2018.

 

Glassybaby

I was intrigued by Glassybaby after I happened to find them on the internet.  Their product and their story was one that really peaked my interest.  During a recent trip to Seattle, WA we visited their Medrona, WA shop and spent time watching each glass votive being made and learning how Glassybaby came to be.  Lee Rhodes, who started Glassybaby was battling cancer and during this time, her husband was also dealing with the stress of seeing a loved one battle the disease.  He enrolled in a glass blowing glass as a means to relieve stress.  When he came home with hand blown votives, Lee loved them and started to pass them along to other cancer patients.  They then starting selling them to help women dealing with cancer purchase wigs and other things they might need while going through treatments. This was the inspiration behind Glassybaby – and to this day they are devoted to giving hope, beauty, kindness and million of dollars to help people, animals and the planet. 

Each hand-blown glass votive is a work of art. as unique as the individual who chooses one, formed by eight hands, born in the USA, citizen of the world, each with its own name, one of a kind. kind of like you.  They arrive beautifully packaged and ready to give.  A perfect gift for anyone on your gift list!

 

Wonderbag

I know I have mentioned previously all of the inquiries I get regarding products and their desire to have me try them.  I read them all and when one really peaks my interest, I reply back that I would love to try their product.  Wonderbag was just one of those products.  

The Wonderbag is a unique powerless slow cooker that gives you the healthiest meals possible. It continues to cook food, which has been brought to a boil by conventional methods for up to 12 hours, without the additional use of additional electricity.  No plugs. No fuss. By freeing up time spent cooking, the Wonderbag can make your life easier and transform lives of women in Africa. For every Wonderbag purchased in the developed world, a contribution is made to the Wonderbag Foundation – supporting the donation of bags to families in need throughout Africa. Their mission statement says it all:

Our mission is simple: to economically empower women and girls across the world by addressing the critical daily challenges of time poverty, self worth and cleaner, healthier cooking. We are about finding, supporting and innovating culturally relevant solutions to life’s challenges for communities around the world. 

Our mission is supported by the Buy One, Give One model – for every Wonderbag purchased, a donation is made to the Foundation in order to support Wonderfeasts and subsidize Wonderbags to communities across the world one community at a time.

This is a great gift for tailgaters, boaters, campers, and picnic lovers – a great take along to keep your food hot or cold.  Check out their website for all of the great ways you can use this product and recipes.

Beautiful Briny Sea

This year when at the Atlanta Mart I happened to walk by and immediately had to stop when I saw this wonderful assortment of salts  at Beautiful Briny Sea.  I must admit, the Unicorn salt is one of my favorites.  I like to sprinkle Unicorn salt over avocado toast, the Campfire salt is great on grilled corn.  

Their Story:

Beautiful Briny Sea is an artisan dry goods company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Our small-batch salt blends, sugars, and other culinary products are made with integrity, sustainability and a whole lot of love.

Our humble beginnings date back to 2011, when restauranteur Suzi Sheffield decided to seek new adventures while continuing to pursue her culinary passion. Armed with a boatload of creativity, a love for all things homemade, and a flair for whimsy, Suzi brought Beautiful Briny Sea and its beloved small-batch sea salts to life in a studio in Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward.

Since then, their product line has expanded to include twelve salt batches, as well as a handful of various other sundries and specialty goods. Suzi’s always dreaming up new concoctions in the Salt Shack, so keep your ear to the ground for upcoming products, fun collaborations, and other new projects.

 

Marcella Kriebal

Art work and cookbooks by Marcella Kriebal first came to my attention when I was shopping at Union Market in Washington, DC.  That day, Marcella was selling her unique pieces of art and her Mi Comida Latina cookbook.  I purchased one of her cookbooks and to this day, it graces my kitchen.  The recipes are unique and delicious and the artwork is just beautiful to look at.  

 

This unique cookbook is both a work of art and valuable reference book. It features over 100 hand drawn recipes from Marcella’s Travels throughout Latin America.

This collection includes many of Marcella’s favorite dishes, desserts, and drinks inspired by her travels in Central and South America; tamales, ceviche, empanadas, flan and many more favorites from countries including Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Puerto Rico. She has also included lots of pages about ingredients that are less common in the US including prickly pear, yuca root, and epazote. 

 Above is just one example of her beautiful works of art. 

 

Piedmont Provisions

Piedmont Provisions is based in lovely Athens, GA. They are one of our favorites from from South.  I previously noted in a recent recipe how much we love their Peach Cobbler jam.  Their preserves are created using traditional methods and hand-hammered copper pots, which allow the true fruit flavor to shine without being overly processed.  Easy to purchase online, I have purchased numerous times and always delicious.  A perfect holiday gift or hostess gift

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